14 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



wing-coverts, tips of greater coverts, and part of edges 

 of wings, white; bill, orange or orange-yellow tipped 

 with black; iris, brown. Adult Female in Summer: 

 Above, olive-brownish or grayish, sometimes tinged 

 with olive-greenish ; the wings and tail, blackish or 

 dusky marked with white or whitish, much as in the 

 male ; upper tail-coverts, pale grayish or grayish-white ; 

 under parts, dull grayish-white tinged with yellow, 

 especially in the front and on the sides, sometimes 

 entirely soiled yellow, except under tail-coverts. Adult 

 Male in Winter: Similar to the adult female but 

 wings and tail deeper black, with whitish markings 

 more conspicuous. Adult Female in Winter : Similar 

 to the summer female, but more lirownish. Young: 

 Somewhat like winter adults, but much browner, all 

 the wing-markings, pale cinnamon, the plumage gen- 

 erallv being suffused with this color. 



Nest and Eggs.— Nest: Placed in forks of bush or 

 sapling, sometimes on the swaying stalk of a wild black- 

 berry, usually within 5 feet but sometimes 30 feet from 

 the ground ; a compact, artistic structure of felted 

 plant down, mosses, grass, leaves, bark strips, usually 

 lined with thistledown ; build later than any other birds, 

 from last week in June to second week' in September; 

 sometimes reconstruct old Blackbird or other nests, the 

 added material being principally a heavy lining of 

 down. Egos: 3 to 6, sets of 5 and 6 being common, 

 pale bluish white, unmarked. 



Distribution. — United States and more southern 

 British provinces east of Rocky Mountains, north to 

 Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, southern Labrador, and 

 Newfoundland; breeding southward to the middle dis- 

 tricts of the United States ; wintering southward to 

 Gulf coast. 



The Goldfinch is one of the most inter- 

 esting birds of American life. It is a bird the 

 most casual observer can enthtise over, and one 



yoimg has brought forth many interesting com- 

 ments from the nature writers. Dr. Chapman 

 in liis Handbook says that " their love song is 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



GOLDFINCH (j nat. size) 

 A beautiful little fellow with jolly manners and a fine canary-like song 



that the bird sttident will never tire raving about. 

 The male is such a bright yellow bird with black 

 wings and tail that he readily becomes known as 

 the Wild Canary in any community where he 

 is commonly seen. Then its habit of feeding 

 about where people go to and fro, scarcelv heed- 

 ing the inquisitive humans, has increased the 

 knowledge of the bird. But when the sun begins 

 to warm the earth and air, and summer is here, 

 the Goldfinch is then in his ecstasy. Swinging 

 through the air, its pcr-cliic-o-rcc, pcr-chic-o- 

 ree is as sweet in note as any caged Canary's. 

 The abandon and wild delight of the bird at this 

 season while most other birds are feeding their 



delivered with an ecstasy and abandon which 

 carries them ofif their feet, and they circle over 

 the field sowing the air with music." After most 

 of the other birds are through with their nesting, 

 and all of the others have already begun, the 

 Goldfinch gathers his thistledown and fine grasses 

 together for the nest in a berry bush or some 

 other low shaded place jtist out of the sun's rays. 

 The pcr-chic-o-ree changes gradually to notes 

 more directly personal for the mate and young. 

 Tic-o-rcc. o-rcc. o-rcc and many variations are 

 heard. There are those who insist that the 

 male calls ba-by, ba-bec to the young in the 

 nest. Certainly the notes are as sweet and in- 



